Stethoscope



June 23, 1925;"

J. SMITHLINE STETHOSCOPE Filed Aug. 25 19225 'A TTORNEY Patented June 23, 1.925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

'JACQUES SMITHLINE, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

STETHOSCOPE.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that JACQUES SMITHLiNr-z, citizen of the United States, residing at New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, has invented certain lnew and useful Improvements in Stethoscopes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to stethoscopes.

One object thereof is to provide a device of the character described which shall be capable of use for giving sounds with or without amplification as may be desired and which may be easily applied to anv desired portion of the body in such manner as to give full and satisfactory sounds.

Another object is to provide in. a stethoscope a practical and efficient attachment whereby the sounds may be transmitted without amplification.

Another object is to provide an instru-- ment of the character described which shall be simple in construction, comparatively cheap to manufacture and efficient in operation to a high degree.

Other objects of this invention will `in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed. Y

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accom anying drawing in which is shown one o the various possible illustrative embodiments of this invention,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the stethoscope showing same in use for giving sounds without amplification..

Figure 2 is a view showing the parts disassembled of the attachment.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional View taken along line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Referring in detail to the drawing the instrument embodying my invention there shown is seen to comprise a head 10 having the interior surface thereof dished as at 11 so as to provide a conical space or air chamber 12. Extending from the rear of the head is a tubular Y-connector portion 13 to which are attached the flexible tubes 14, 14, having at their ends the ear pieces 15. The legs 13, 13" of the Y-connector 13 communicate with the central opening 1G extendlng mto the chamber 12. At the point of communication the material of the head member 1() is cut away so as to provide a ber is provided with a rear annular shoul- 'f der 1S) and a sleeve member 20 having a bezel 2l which is fitted over the head member so as lo rest against this shoulder 12) with the bezel 21 pressed against the outer edge of the diaphragm 18. Extending from the head member and through sleeve member 2() are pin projections 22, 22 for the purpose hereinafter described.

The device as thus far described may be employed in the ordinary manner for evploring the rear and front chest walls so as to get the lung sounds, where amplification is usuali desirable. The sounds are caused to impinge directly on the outer surface of diaphragm 18 and thereby create sound waves within the air chamber 12 and then concentrated into the annular space 17. They are then further concentrated into air waves of smaller uniform diameter into the passage 16 and thence pass through the legs 13, 13b and the tubes 14, 14 to the ear. I have found that for ordinary uses of the stethoscope such as just described ythis device is exceedingly sensitive and gives very satisfactory and efficient operation, a dominating feature of the device being the construction ofthe head member so as to provide the conical air chamber 12 which gradually tapers, so to speak, the air waves into an auxiliary or secondary cylin drical chamber 17 whence the waves are further concentrated into a third cylindrical chamber of smaller diameter, in this way concentrating the sound and propagating it with practically no loss of intensity to the ear.

In examining the heart it is often not desirable to have any amplification, and yet the instrument should be such asto give proper and audible sounds so as to rcfiect the true condition of the heart. Furthermore, in exploring the heart it is sometimes not possible lll) with a head memberI such as l0 to get good contact with the body by reason of peculiar' formations ot the body, as for example, where a person has a 'veri'v lean chest wall so that the ribs are. quite exposed thus affording an insufficient smooth contact surface. for a normal size stethoscope. Also such head can not be used with advantage in exploring the neel; portion so as to give sounds lrom the neck vessels. It will be understood, ot' course. that where improper contact is had between the head oi" the stethoscope and the portion ot' the. bottiY explored, a large portion o t' the soun l is lost and not conveyed through the stethoscope. To meet these conditions I have. thereiiore, provided an attachment comprising a neel: 23 terminating at its tree end in a bell shaped mouth adapted to he placed again the body and havingl at its other end a diaphragm 25 shown in detail at (o) ot Figure and which may be threaded on the neel; aa shown in Figure l or integral tlarew'th. This diaphragm has a liodv portion o1"V sul rial thickness and is ol tapering cross-section as at 26 so that adjacent its periph QT it comparatively veriY thin. The neck inemher 223 and diaphragm Q5 are made ot' suitl able material such as hard rubber and the latter is fitted into a sleeve 2S similar to sleeve 2l but olt larger diameter so as to snugly tit over the latter. This sleeve likewise provided with a bezel 2S which rests against the edge ot the dial'ihragm when the sleeve member is litted tightly over the head portion it). Slots Si() shaped so as to provide recefr s 30 lior the pins 22, 2Q on the head men'iber are cut in the walls of the sleeve 2Q so that when the latter is litted over the head member the pins register in said recesses and are held tightlY against the walls ot the slots, then the member Q8 is rotated until thc pins have moved away trom the recesses 30 into the slots.

llie sound waves enter the month 2l and are concentrated into the opening or passage 23 in the neck piece Q23. which is quite small Ain comparison to theA diameter ole the mouth yl`he waves thus concentrated into the cylindrical chamber Q3* impinge on diaphragnis 18 and Q5. E v reason oll the thick bodv and thin peripheral portion of diaphragm "2?. a small portion ot' the sound energy is expended in vibrating diaphragm 25. the remainder being transmitted through thc head member lll and is in consequence not concentrated but nevertheless has sutlicient strength to give audible sounds and trulv retlcct the condition ot the portion of the bodv being explored.

It will thus he seen that there provided a device in which the several objects ot this invention are achieved and which is well adapted to meet the conditions ot practical use.

.ls various possible embodiments might he made ot the above invention and as variinis changes might be made in the embodiment above Set forth, it is to be understood that all mattei' herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Claims:

Ilaving thus described my invention l desire to obtain b v Letters Iatent,

l. In a stethoscope, in combination with a drinn head having a di-.iphragin l'.i.i-'tencd thereon, means secured to said head lior mullling the sounds transmitted bv the dia phragni. said means being removable independentl)Y ol said diaphragm tastening and including :mother diaphragm disposed in non-contactual relation opposite lsaid tiret mentioned diaphragm and having greater inertia than the latter.

In a stethoscope, in combination with a drum head having a diaphragm 'fastened thereon,l means secured to said head lor mailling the sounds traiismitted bv said diaphragm, said means being removable independenllvv oi said diaphragm Jfastening and comprising an auxiliar)v sound transmitting device including a diaphragm dizaposev/l in non-contzu-tual operative relation to said first mentioned diaphragm and a sound receiving member having an enlarged mouth gortion adapted to receive the air waves, and a neel: portion having a narrow passage in conimunication with said mouth portion and adapted to transmit the air waves to said last mentioned diaphragm, said mouth portion being ot' substantiallvY smaller diameter than the head portion.

3. In a stethoscope, in combination with a drum head having a diaphragm vfastened thereon, means secured to said head Vfor mulflling the sounds transmitted by said diaphragm. said means being removable independenti)v et said diaphragm fastening and comin'ising an auxiliary sound transmitting device including a diaphragm disposed in non-contactual operai ive relation to said .first mentioned diaphragm and having a comparatively thick body portion and :i thinner peripheral portion and a sound rectV member having an enlarged mouth portion adapted to receive the air wave". and a neel: portion having a narrow pa Y in communication with said mouth portion and adapted to transmit the air waves to said last mentioned diaphragm.

In testimony whereot' I aitiix mv signature,

JACQUES SMITHLIE. 

